Hate yoga? Why you might want to give it a second chance

Make a #yoga search and you'll find millions of Instagram posts of lithe people bending or finding Zen – it's no wonder that people all over the world are pulling on their Lululemons in a bid to get slim, agile and peaceful.

But trying yoga can be another experience altogether. Many yoga newbies complain of feeling uncoordinated, stiff, sore or bored, then wonder what's wrong with them and why they're not feeling the yogi love that proponents of the ancient Indian modality go on about.

"The idea of yoga is to be Zen and at peace with oneself. If you were to say yoga is not for me, it can be interpreted as saying being at peace with oneself is not important to you," Pia Therese, real body coach and founder of Melbourne Fitness and Wellbeing, told Coach.

On top of that, yoga can be really hard – both physically and mentally – and there's no guarantee of instant enlightenment just by rolling out a mat.

"People think yoga is beautiful and easy and great for the mind but don't realise there is often a lot of strength required," Therese says.

"Some types of yoga require you to hold the pose for quite a long time and that requires a lot of core strength and requires your mind to be in the right spot to hold the pose."

As for the mental side of things, Therese says a lot of people judge themselves if they're not completely "in the moment" for the entire 60 or 90-minute class – which is not necessarily the goal.

"If you manage to spend 10 seconds with complete immersion in what you are doing then that's great – that is 10 seconds of the day you wouldn't normally have been so focused," Therese says.

Dustin Brown from Warrior One Yoga says there is a yoga style for everyone and encourages people to try different styles and teachers until they find a class that suits them.

"People who find it boring potentially haven't found the right teacher," he says.

"There is vinyasa, yin, hip hop, acro, naked, bro yoga and heaps of others –they all attract different people for different reasons. It's about finding the right teacher and place that doesn't feel intimidating so you feel at home."

If you're interested in becoming more yogi, Brown suggests getting clear on what you want to get out of it.

If you want to build strength and have a bit of a workout then vinyasa or ashtanga might be for you. If you want to release tight muscles after a lot of running or high intensity workouts then you might try a Yin or Yoga Tune-Up class to stretch and release the muscles.

Teachers also vary dramatically and who appeals to your friend won't necessarily have the right vibe for you.

But regardless of whether they're a calming soul or someone who pumps you up, Brown says a good teacher should facilitate a non-judgmental environment.

"When you are on your mat you are in your own sanctuary, free from judgment – it's your time to just be there," he says.

"Noone is looking at you – they are thinking about their own journey on their mat."

But if you've tried a bunch of classes and still don't feel it's for you, then Greg Stark, exercise physiologist and author of Sweat Equity, says you don't have to do yoga.

"Yoga is great and I see a lot of value in it but it's not the only way to get increased mobility and flexibility or de-stress and slow down," he says.

"For some people running can have a meditative aspect to it – they breathe deeply and clear their mind. For others running is strenuous and stressful and has the opposite effect, so it's about finding what works for you."

But regardless of whether you do yoga or stretching and lengthening in a different format, Stark says it's important you don't let your muscles get too stiff and sore.

"You can increase your performance with increases in mobility," he points out.

"If yoga gets you moving and you enjoy it, then that's a great outcome. But maybe all you need is to create pauses in your day to find calmness."